


Little Bird

by CallMeHopeless



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Merlin is an absolute cutie pie, So is Arthur, a little bird as matchmaker, weird mostly silent roadtrip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 18:23:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14219043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeHopeless/pseuds/CallMeHopeless
Summary: "Arthur, you have to help me."Arthur's heart sank as he took the state of his best friend in. Hair standing up in all directions, red glassy eyes and a large dirt stain across his cheek. His hands were shaking as he was clutching a little shoebox to his chest.--In which the boys are stupidly in love, save a bird and discover that saying "I love you" is not always needed to express the sentiment.





	Little Bird

"Arthur, you have to help me."

 

Arthur's heart sank as he took the state of his best friend in. Hair standing up in all directions, red glassy eyes and a large dirt stain across his cheek. His hands were shaking as he was clutching a little shoebox to his chest.

 

Arthur hauled him into his flat instantly, checking him for any obvious injuries.

"Oh my god Merlin, what happened?"

 

Merlin sniffed and Arthur suddenly thought that if anything bad had happened to Merlin, he would never again be able to be happy himself. He busied himself with wiping away Merlin's tears and tried to hug him for comfort as Merlin tried to get words out in between loud sobs.

However, the shoebox was in the way so Arthur tried to take it off Merlin, which only made Merlin screech and jump away.

"No, Arthur, you can't!"

Arthur was getting more and more worried the more tears ran down Merlin's face so he led him to the battered old sofa and sat him down.

"Shh, Merlin, it's alright, shh, what happened?"

As Arthur lazily stroked Merlin's back, the other boy seemed to calm down a bit. With one last deep breath, he stopped crying and looked at Arthur.

"I was in my flat, writing the essay that's due tomorrow," he began still shaking. 

"Suddenly, there was a loud noise like something hitting my window, yeah? And I go and see what it was all about and then this guy," he opened up the shoebox and revealed a tiny bird sitting in the middle of the box, completely still. He looked at Arthur for a reaction and Arthur was fighting very hard against smiling. He suddenly felt so much lighter. He had thought that something truly horrible had happened like Merlin getting ill or Merlin being harassed or Merlin being evicted from his flat. But this boy, this lovely, lovely boy, was bawling his eyes out over a bird with a broken leg. Arthur just looked at Merlin, face carefully blank and Merlin nodded as if content with that reaction continued talking. It only made Arthur love him more.

"...and then I tried to get it in the box because the cat kept circling it and I finally did and I just don't know what to do know," he ended with another sob before fixing Arthur with a gaze that could melt icebergs, Arthur was sure of it.

He nodded solemnly, before standing up to get his laptop. It wasn't like he didn't have things to do but he could never and would never say no to Merlin. It was a blessing Merlin didn't know that, really, because Arthur had a feeling that his devotion would not be very well received.

"Alright, should I just... google vets?" Arthur asked but Merlin was busy checking if the bird was still alive so Arthur decided to do just that.

After he had called ten different vets who simply laughed at him for trying to help a small wild bird, he had a woman on the line who actually did sound concerned. She agreed to see them as soon as possible but when Arthur checked the address, he saw that the woman was from Birmingham. Which was... a fun three hour drive. He sighed and turned around to look at Merlin before telling her that they would be there as soon as possible.

He wrote down the address and grabbed his keys and wallet before hauling Merlin from the couch.

"Up you get then, I found a vet who agreed to see us."

Merlin nodded and got up as he was told. 

Arthur held the door open for him and Merlin embraced Arthur in an awkward half hug and whispered "thank you", before leading the familiar way to Arthur's car.

Arthur sighed before letting the door fall shut trying to will his blush away that always creeped up on him when Merlin got a little bit too close.

 

*

 

They weren't even in the car for 10 minutes, when Arthur noticed the even breaths coming from the seat next to him. Sure enough, Merlin's head was pressed up against the window and his eyes were firmly shut, mouth slightly ajar.

His hands were still clutching the shoebox but Arthur figured that since the bird couldn't properly move, it was safe to open the box as he stopped at a red light.

The bird looked at him with big, fearful eyes and Arthur found himself smiling fondly at it.

"Hello birdy," he mumbled.

"Might as well talk to you then, since your rescuer decided to just fall asleep."

The bird still looked at him and Arthur nodded at it.

"Incredibly rude, I agree."

He continued to talk to the bird and to pretend that the bird talked back. He did think about how insane it would make him look, talking to a bird like that, but he couldn't find himself to care. He was on his way to a vet because of it, he was allowed to talk to it!

 

Arthur was in the middle of a story about how Gwaine called a professor out in the middle of class, when he heard a low chuckle. Instantly embarrassed, he turned his head and found Merlin looking at him grinning widely. Arthur's heartbeat sped up at the sight. That smile right there was the only thing he needed in his life.

He didn't say that of course.

Instead, he dutifully directed his eyes to the street in front of him and said:

"You're smiling. That's better"

"Better than what?"

"Crying."

Merlin didn't reply to that and they drove on in peace. It was a good 20 minutes, until Merlin spoke again:

"Uhm, Arthur? Where are we?"

Arthur tried to decipher the directions on one of the street signs.

"Oxford?ish?"

Merlin gasped and Arthur couldn't help but feel hot all over. Merlin would think he was a total creep for driving to bloody Birmingham just because he'd do about anything for him. What had he been thinking?

"Arthur?"

Arthur made an affirmative sound at the back of his neck, regarding the street in front of him and the scenery just off the motorway with more rigour than was absolutely necessary.

"Where are we going?"

Arthur thought about it for a moment before opting for nonchalance and simply shrugged.

"Birmingham."

Merlin was silent and when Arthur quickly glanced at him, he could see Merlin biting his lip in concentration.

"Why are we driving to Birmingham?"

"Because, Merlin, that was the only freaking vet I was able to get on the phone who was willing to help a wild tiny bird."

He hadn't meant for it to sound so snappy but he couldn't help it. He panicked slightly, not ready to admit to Merlin what driving him and his wild bird half across the country meant.

Luckily, Merlin left it at that and the two of them drove on in companionable silence.

Once they arrived in Birmingham, the bird started to get restless and Merlin tried soothing it, speaking softly and showering it with words of adoration and encouragement. Arthur was sure that this was a special kind of hell, designed specifically for him.

 

Arthur sighed happily when they finally arrived at the vet. A young woman sat behind a reception and immediately jumped to her feet when she saw the two of them walk in with the bird.

"You're here!" she exclaimed and vanished into what Arthur guessed was the room where the actual treatment took place. Arthur and Merlin shared a confused look, Merlin clutching the box with the bird still tightly to his chest. The door banged open again and a middle aged handsome woman greeted them. She introduced herself as the doctor Arthur had spoken to on the phone and ushered them in.

Arthur was mesmerised by her kind eyes and the careful way with which she treated their feathery friend. She checked its wings and feet for any injuries while Merlin was watching with a look of utter concentration on his face. Arthur realised for the umpteenth time how screwed he was.

 

Finally, the doctor declared that the bird had most likely twisted its foot but that it wasn't broken and that they should put it back where they had found it and maybe - if they had the time - cook some oats in oil to strengthen the little guy. Merlin immediately assured the woman that they definitely had the time.

 

And lo, they were back on their way. Merlin gushing over the small animal tucked back into the box and Arthur pretending like his heart wasn't about to burst.

Other than the occasional “you're going to be alright, little birdy”, the car ride was quiet. Arthur didn't dare say a single word. He stopped in front of Merlin's apartment complex and let Merlin get out. He finally dared to look directly at him and was relieved that Merlin looked much better than when he'd stood on Arthur's doorstep that morning.

When Merlin noticed that Arthur wasn't going to leave his car, he looked at him piercingly.

“Are you not coming?”

Arthur didn't say anything.

“Do you want me to come?”

Merlin nodded slowly.

“You've just driven us across the country to make sure this little guy would survive, you bet I want you to come when I set him free.”

Arthur nodded back and turned off the engine before stepping out, feeling unsure of himself.

Together they walked to a little green spot right next to the building. There was a small patch of grass, an old, beaten up bench that definitely had seen better days and two large trees.

Merlin smiled at him before setting the shoebox down on the bench and opening the lid.

The bird blinked as if adjusting to the brightness of the real world and spread his wings after a moment of hesitation. It landed on one of the benches and Merlin looked up at it happily. Arthur did the same with Merlin.

“Look,” Merlin gasped and pointed at the bird.

About a dozen little birds surrounded their little friend and within a minute, Arthur couldn't have told their birds and its friends apart.

He smiled while they chirped excitedly.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Arthur asked, unable to tear his eyes from the happy animals.

“For taking us.”

Arthur said nothing. He just enjoyed the moment. Suddenly, he felt a warm weight on his hand and when he looked down, he saw that Merlin had taken it in his and smiled at him tentatively.

Arthur, because his brain couldn't catch up with what was happening, eloquently asked: “What...?”

Merlin blushed and wanted to draw his hand back but Arthur reacted quickly and held on to it, keeping it right where it was.

Merlin shrugged.

“I figured it might mean something. You driving me to Birmingham because I'd found a hurt bird, I thought maybe...” he trailed off.

“Would you like it to mean something?” Arthur asked, feeling brave. Braver than he had ever felt before and properly linked their fingers.

Merlin nodded ever so slightly.

He cleared his throat.

“More than I can express.”

Arthur nodded and squeezed the hand that was finally – _finally_ – in his.

“It definitely means something.”

Merlin looked up and straight into Arthur's eyes, as if looking for something.

“Yeah?”

Arthur snorted.

“I just drove you to bloody Birmingham because you'd found a hurt bird, Merlin what do you think?”

Arthur didn't get to know what Merlin thought however, has the weight in his hand was suddenly gone and two arms wrapped around his neck instead.

Merlin shot him an unsure look, biting his own lip while not being able to tear his gaze from Arthur's. Arthur finally leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a careful, soft kiss.

When they parted, he looked back up to the tree, trying to make out their little friend.

He smiled at the flock of birds and whispered:

“Thank you, mate,”

which made Merlin snort loudly.

“Clotpole.”

Arthur grinned, being well familiar with that particular word, and nodded.

“Yeah, but your clotpole,” he mumbled before pressing their lips together again.


End file.
